What if you thought you were practically full-blood Native and took a DNA test and found out you were 34 percent white and/or 15 percent black? Would it be demoralizing? Would you demand a re-test and plop down another 100 bucks? DNA/ ancestry testing is a gigantic money-making machine. It’s based on our own curiosity to find out who we are and where we come from – it’s an interesting thing.
My mother was my ancestry.com. When I was younger, she was always telling stories about who was part of our family tree (and who wasn’t), and how we were related to this family and who my great grandparents were – and just on and on and on. I always wondered “why is she telling me all this? What good is this going to do me?”
I look at all the advertisements for these DNA testing/ancestry/genealogy sites and now I know why mom told me all those stories – she was instilling in me a sense of identity and purpose. I did absorb everything she was telling me, at least subconsciously. Therefore, I don’t have any questions about who I am and where I come from, and who my ancestors are; although there are gaps in the equation.
“I had no idea (that I was Native American). I absolutely want to know more about my Native American heritage. It’s opened up a whole new world for me,” says the spokeswoman in the Ancestry.com commercial, who states that after her DNA test she found out she was 26 percent Native American. How in the heck do you get to be 26 percent of anything? I know it’s mathematically possible, but that just goes to show you something about these tests.
They’re not that accurate. They are based on what they have in their database, which are massive, and they look for similarities from you with people who are already in their database. Let me quote the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), who have developed their own American Indian and Alaska Native Genetics Resource Center:
“Genetic information (i.e., DNA) collected from individuals, families, and communities can be used in many different ways and it is becoming more of a discussion topic in tribal communities. While research is one possible use of genetic information, this information can also be used to examine how people are related to one another by comparing the similarity of their DNA sequences. In almost all genetic testing, information is expressed in terms of probability or a chance of something.
“However, no DNA testing can prove an individual is American Indian and/or Alaska Native, or has ancestry from a specific tribe. Genetic testing can provide evidence for the biological relationship between two individuals (e.g., paternity testing), but there are no unique genes for individual tribes or American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) ancestry in general. While research scientists have found that some genetic markers are found mostly only in AI/ANs, these markers are neither unique to AI/ANs nor predictive of AI/AN identity.”
I’ve always wanted to find out that I was part white and had a big inheritance from my European ancestors that needed to be claimed. I haven’t found a relative in Europe yet (I haven’t looked) but I’m pretty sure I’m either 1/32 or 1/64 French. Maybe I can become a citizen of France if I can authenticate my French bloodline.
Natives are strong and we are proud. Other people want to be part of that – they want to think they are justified for what happened to the Indigenous Peoples here in the so-called Americas. And there are many people who are looking to prove their Native American ancestry so they can become enrolled tribal members who are looking to cash in on our casino per capita (good luck with that). I was very proud of Snoop Dogg when he found out he was something like 28 percent Native American.
From what I’ve discovered, he never tried to enroll in a tribe. Why would he? Why should he? Now I know there are those Natives who were adopted by non-Native parents who didn’t hear the stories growing up. That’s the exception to the rule. If you want to find out the truth about who you are and where you come from don’t take a DNA test; don’t go to an ancestral lineage website. Do your research and find out what is your most likely tribe. Seek out one of the elders of the tribe. They know the story and they may know the real history of your family.
Harlan McKosato is a citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma. He is the Director of NDN Productions, an independent media production company based in Albuquerque.
I've never had my DNA tested, for me there is no need. I can trace my heritage back numerous generations.
In the U.S I am an enrolled member of the Ojibwe nation.
According to the U.S. government I'm an Indian, 50% and the other 50% is just non Indian..
Which lead me to this...In Canada I'm First Nation (Indian) and 50% Indigenous (Metis)...In Canada there are three different groups. First Nation, Indigenous (Metis) and Inuit.
So in Canada I'm 100% native, although different groups..Metis, in the Metis language it's Michif and is fairly unique, the groups stems from the early 1600's when French and British immigrated to Canada and married Ojibwe, Cree or Menominee women. They of course were divided into British Metis and French Metis..It's getting more confusing.
These groups, Metis, Cree and Ojibwe became the controlling groups in the fur trade for hundreds of years. In that time a language was developed within the Metis people. It's called Michif/Cree and is a combination of French/Cree/Ojibwe...
I am from the French Metis. So when I travel across the border I'm 100% Native. Here in the U.S. I'm 50% American Indian and 50% something else.
Now that everyone is totally confused the US doesn't recognize Metis as indigenous although there are thousands living in ND, MN, WI and MI...
So if you have a DNA test and they tell you that your 26% Native American take it with a grain of salt.
Dear Friend Kavika: I know I am Jewish as I am of the Levi tribe. For six thousand years, when we Levites are called Aliyah le Torah in Services we know from whom we derived, and who was the name of our father in Hebrew.
This unbroken chain of tradition makes DNA testing for purposed of origin unnecessary for us, as for the Kohanim.
Enoch.
Thank you for sharing that wisdom, Enoch. Of course with the Anglicizing of family names many variations for Levi tribe names have been used, such as Levitt, Levinson, Levine, Lewin, Lewis, Levinsky, and the infamous Lewinsky, etc.
Like the Jewish people, we too have clans. The clans are very important to us and there are certain rules that must be abided by the members of the clan.
The Seven original clans of the Ojibwe also have sub clans...
The clans date back thousands of years and are the foundation of the Ojibwe Nation.
There is no question to us, who we are.
The exception would be the children that were stole and raised in religious schools and with non Indian families. The are the ''lost birds'' and are lacking in the true identity of our people. This is very sad, but many later in their lives have tried to reconnect to their roots, many have been successful.
Thanks for the information niijii.
I am 1/4 Finn, 1/4 Croatian, and 1/2 French/Canadian. Plus I also have an ancestor who was a Cherokee Princess.
Ah ha, the famous ''Princess Tribe''....LOL
I know that waaaaaay back I'm probably 1/something First Nation, but I have never checked it out. I have got to get around to that.
I'm just a mutt right now, but I plan on registering myself as a breed.
Mutt-tastic tribe...Hmmm, funny you don't look like a mutt...
I'm just a mutt right now, but I plan on registering myself as a breed.
AKC?
Maybe he has dreams of being chosen "Best of Breed". Think of the stud fees. LOL
Think of the stud fees.
And I was just going to make dinner.................uuuugggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh
That's OK. I'm on a diet and hard boiled eggs go down fairly easily.
Mash up a hard-boiled egg with mayonnaise, add a pinch of salt, and make a sandwich of it with tomatoe slices and toasted fresh white raisin buttered bread - one of my favourite lunches.
Goes well with a kosher dill pickle and home-made French fries.
I'll try that sometime, with the tomato on the side.
Think I'll take a break. It seems a shit storm has moved in and I'll wait until passes....
Of course it's commonly known as an egg salad sandwich - can be varied by adding chopped raw onion and/or celery, or add lettuce to the combo.
My wife makes them all of the time, but adds tuna fish to them.
Actually tuna and egg is a great combination.
"Maybe I can become a citizen of France if I can authenticate my French bloodline." (Author of the posted article)
Why in God's name would he want to be identified as a citizen of a country that, although it may have a gand history, has turned into such a state.
On another point, even if DNA testing may not be considered so valuable for the purpose of determining ancestry, which is the topic of the article, it is invaluable for establishing guilt or innocence of persons accused of a crime.
Buzz, I traced the French in my Metis heritage and found out that I am 1/132 French and directly related to someone in France...I choose it to be Bonaparte.
If I COULD trace my ancestry through DNA, I would probably discover that one of my ancestors was Rasputin.
Hmmmm you do bear a resemblance to the ''mad monk''....or is it a Greek fisherman...LOL
Actually Buzz the article is talking about the commercial DNA business. There is plenty of evidence of the use of DNA by scientific groups...
Are DA's really DNA's who just had their N removed? If so I am sure a lot of people would have a good appeals case.
Similar to the FBI (full blood Indian) or Fry Bread Inspector.
I love me some Fry Bread!
KA_BOOM!!!!!
An old friend of mine, Alanis Obomsawin, is 100% Cherokee and a very accomplished and famous woman (just google her name) who referred to big Indian men as BFI's (as an acronym for "big fucking Indian"). She said it with affection rather than as an insult.
I don't think Indian was the "I" Hal was reaching for......just guessing....
I'm sure he meant it to mean a word designating a person with very substandard mental capability.
I would think that is probably correct. lol
Buzz Alanis is Abenaki.
Oooops. I should have remembered that. My bad.
Easy mistake Buzz, we all look alike...
So do all of us White folks! At least I can't tell us apart Officer!
"Easy mistake Buzz, we all look alike...
"
Come on, Kavika, if you actually look like Alanis...
...I would have asked you to marry me, even if you WERE Ojibwe and not Abanake. LOL
LMAO....Too funny
I think old family stories about the family tree are more interesting anyway, even if not entirely accurate.
These tests are worthless and have been dismissed by the scientific community as "genetic astrology." The divisions between nationalities is social not genetic. According to scientists, since we all share the large majority of our DNA through far removed ancestors, each of us has very little DNA that is directly inherited from a specific ancestor (even as recently as several generations ago). So, essentially, we are all mutts. The tests are just a guess and some tests have been obviously flawed when, as has happened, identical twins have received results showing that they have different ancestry or substantially different percentages. If you want to know your ancestry, you can probably get more accurate results by just looking in the mirror or asking your mother.
Probably many of the commercial DNA laboratories, especially those that advertise the ancestry detecting business, are probably no better than puppy mills, and it may be that the bad publicity refers to them. I do believe, however, that the genuinely careful respectable qualified scientific labs that do the testing for legal and medical forensics would make accurate reports, or how could they even be used as valid evidence in a trial or in a medically necessary determination before carrying out what could be a dangerous medical procedure.
Buzz the article was talking about the commercial ''dna labs'' not the legit scientific labs.
Maybe so, but his comment was relatively general and I wanted to be sure that when he used the expression "these tests" he was referring only to those commercial ancestry businesses and not to DNA tests generally.
Kavika is right. I was only talking about the DNA labs in the article.
Okay, then my comment was unnecessary.
I got tested and it said i was a real American 100%